Thallus
A small village whose only claim to fame (or indeed subsistence) is due to it's ability to hunt and trap the various game of the wasteland. Thallus is mostly visited by leather traders acquiring pelts, or by a certain circus picking up more attractions. History Thallus was originally a hunting cabin, built in the late 19th century by a moderately successful industrialist from Chicago. He would visit the cabin thrice in his life, and it passed through various hands until The Great War, when it's last owner was killed in Seattle. The cabin would sit abandoned for a century before being rediscovered by Renault Hornsby, a Canadian fur trapper. Having traveled south from Vancouver, he stumbled upon the cabin by accident and was amazed to find it intact, apart from some missing shingles. Hornsby, initially planning to stay only a few nights, would end up spending the rest of the year there. From here he marveled at and then trapped the wealth of game to be found, catching Jackalope, Black Horn, Mole-Rat, Pig-Rat, and even a Yao Guai. When Spring dawned on 2178, Hornsby took his pelts north to sell, and returned with tools, ammo, dry goods, and medicine. That spring saw a promising start to his trappings, before being disturbed by a group of refugees fleeing Seattle. Hornsby was initially against the group staying, but was persuaded to let them rest for a few days. In that time they plied him with enough liquor and compliments to convince him to take several of them and teach them to live off the land. The city dwellers took to the lessons faster than Hornsby predicted, making their own snares and pits after a few days. Hornsby even extended his gratitude to the newcomers after two of them saved him from a nest of Waspoon, badly injuring themselves to do so. The trapper would repay this by tending to their wounds and helping the group construct houses and lean-tos. By that winter the eight of them formed the basis of Thallus, a phonetic portmanteau of Thaddeus and Alice, the two who saved Hornsby. The spring saw three residents head out to trade pelts and meat for tools, nails, weapons and metal, as well as mentioning their settlement to a passing trader. The people of Thallus continued this pattern for the next several years, growing to ten by 2183. That year saw a migration of Breeder Bugs to the area, who disturbed the food web, and the larger game as a result. The people of Thallus killed the swarms whenever they could, but the damage was still moderate by summer. The hunters were able to bring in enough for the winter, but knew they would have little to trade by the spring. To that end they began harvesting what Blood Berries remained and planting them, as well as any other edible foliage. With these they made preserves and jams, and sold them in the spring, buying tools for gardening as they tended to the shrubs and berry bushes. The people of Thallus would spend four years in this new way of life before the ecosystem recovered enough to support their previous level of hunting. Hornsby died in 2199, and the next year saw an influx of settlers arrived, some from marriages with other settlements and nearby tribes, some from caravan trails that led to the village, and some fleeing the violence in the Seattle-Tacoma Sprawl. A member of this later group would prove to be a former Watchmen with a some knowledge of treating pelts into leathers. After practicing enough to remember the process, Natalie Jenkins would open her tannery, and provide a great service to the people of Thallus, allowing them to get more for their pelts from caravans and traders. This also marked the period of harassment by raiders, with some demanding tribute or extorting outlying cabins over the next ten years, before a militia was formed to repulse them once and for all in 2212. The town became more insular after this raid, afraid of further attacks and strangers that could be spies. This attitude relaxed a decade later when a caravanner named Woods decided to settle in Thallus, and opened a small general store next to the tannery. The locals were glad to have a resident merchant (even though he was still supplied by the migratory caravans), and were willing to trade more than they were with outsiders, even though it was of the same stuff. Having one of their own there also attracted a few more traders to town, benefiting all. The town prospered over the next two decades, until it was tragically checked. Tribals attacked the settlement in 2243, tired of their expansion onto the tribal hunting grounds and over harvesting of the animals. Striking in the night, the war-party went house to house and had killed a third of the town before an alarm was raised, and a hectic fight broke out, residents shooting at each other as much as they did their attackers. When the sun rose, half of the town was killed, and four homes destroyed. While the townspeople most blamed the tribals and advocated for war with them, the aged Jenkins, true to her roots, maintained that the whole incident was a false flag operation carried out by the Dental Industry. While most dismissed this, it did gain some traction amongst those on the fringe, and the drive for revenge lost momentum. Despite this, the town developed a hate towards tribals, and struggled to rebuild. The rest of the decade saw them plant more gardens, as well as plant traps in the forest, these designed for human game. The population recovered somewhat by 2255, being at thirty two when tribals again approached the village. Seeing them early since they approached at noon, the town armed itself and prepared to kill the trio, who walked to the center of town with a bundle of white feathers. Curious, one resident went out to see what type of ruse this was, and was surprised when the tribals began speaking to her. They told her that their tribe had moved to area from the south, after being displaced. They also reported that they new of the town's suffering under the local tribe, and asked Thallus for their help in overthrowing the High Feet. After hearing this, the town cautiously allowed the messengers to leave while they thought over the proposal. While most wanted vengeance they also didn't trust these new tribals any more than the previous ones. After three days it was grudgingly agreed to aid the newcomers, and a party was organized to go with the Jagged Rocks. The hunters acted primarily as scouts for the tribals, and led them to their High Feet camp as quick as they could. Once they arrived, their allies fell one the village with the same savagery as their victims visited on Thallus. The volunteers joined in this as well, killing those in sight and looting the various structures. After the frenzy ended, the Jagged Rocks pledged their friendship to Thallus, and occupied those structures still standing. The next years were peaceful in Thallus, though the town was still vaguely suspicious of their neighbors. Regardless, they continued hunting and crafting leather goods, selling them to those who passed through town. The coming of the 2260s also brought with it conflict, in the form of the Oregon Brushfire Wars. While far from the front lines, several of the younger townspeople felt the call to go, upset at the notion of some distant people trying to take their homes. Half of these returned in later years, telling tales of an alliance from all over Cascadia, made up of tribals, militias and a raider army, as well as a wonderful paste. The town was glad for their return, but unsure what to make of their stories, which were reinforced by the passing caravans. Thallus continued on in the coming years, facing raiders again in 2274, though this time with help from their neighbors. The tribals helped ambush the raiders, holding them down while the hunters shot them from a distance, and allowing their allies to do the looting. This arrangement worked for both sides, and life continued on for almost a decade, until a colorful collection of individuals, tens and stuff animals came into town. Calling themselves Dan Reelie's Travelling Zoo, the didn't posses any actual animals, but taxidermy ones. This drew interest from some in the village, who brought out some that they had made, mainly small animals, but a few Black Horn and even an Apeshit among them. These caught the eye of the Zoo, who purchased several, and stayed several days. Since then things have been quiet in Thallus, with traders passing through every other week or so, and the Zoo returning at least once a year. There has been some concern about developments in the region, namely the rise of the Free Northwestern Army, but most feel unaffected by this. Economy While self-sufficient in terms of food, It trades leather products and taxidermy animals for almost everything else, with the town importing ammo, medicines, salt and seasoning, as well as screws & general parts. The tannery is the hub of activity for the locals, while the merchants usually deal in the general store. While there is no hotel, rooms can usually be rented from individuals if needed, and several households operate small stills. Category:Cascadia Category:Communities